Gilded Thorns
by Kindred Minds
Summary: Kurama finds Future Trunks in the middle of Makai just after he finished his trip to the past. During the following events a friendship is forged that will change both of their lives forever.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Neither OneWingedSeer or Bluekitsune251, the authors of this fanfiction, own rights to any part of this story.

A/N: Chapters will be alternated between the authors. Bluekitsune251 posts Ch. 1, etc.

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_This meeting has got to be the dullest yet,_ Kurama thought as he sat with his arms folded at the conference table, impatiently waiting for the goat like demon to finish yammering on about the information Kurama had provided him with a day ago. To ease his boredom, he stretched his senses beyond the castle, searching for Hiei. Although, if he were asked he would say he was checking on the various plant life spread throughout the realm.

It gave him the distinct feeling of thumbing his nose at a teacher, never mind that he held seniority of mind and demon body over anyone else in the room, and he inwardly smiled at the thought that this was a particularly Yusuke-ish thing to think, even discounting the thought that a large part of him _enjoyed_ disrespecting the other demons in their very presence.

_Hmm?_

Momentarily distracted from his search for his younger friend, he dismissed the thoughts of the others present in the room to focus on an energy he didn't recognize.

_It's not entirely human, but it's not demon energy, either, and fairly strong. Maybe today hasn't been a waste after all. _He stood, interrupting the current speaker.

"I apologize for the interruption, Yomi. Theres a matter I must attend to. Please continue without me," he said shortly to the blind man at the head of the table, and walked out of the room without awaiting a response. Yomi wouldn't stop him. Despite their history, he was respected and even trusted to a point by the other demon.

Exiting the building from one of the many balconies by means of a vine he grew to an appropriate length then deposited into his hair for future uses, he transformed into the silver haired demon body with longer legs and started his journey._ Don't let the stranger die_ was the sole command he sent to the plants ahead. He could patch him or her up if necessary, (probably) but there was only so much a corpse could say, even in the demon world. And Kurama had questions for the stranger that could not be answered by a corpse from a world he did not know.

It took about twenty minutes of running to reach the stranger. He was in the middle of a scattered ring of bodies, mostly of the foolish lower class, but a couple that had been middle-range patrol men of Yomis, and one he thought he recognized as Mukuros. Behind him there was a contraption that Kurama thought would look like it belonged in one of the mechanical storerooms of Mukuro or Yomi. While he was still out of sight of the stranger, he silently switched his physical form back to that of the human Suichi.

As he revealed himself to the lavender haired young man, who appeared to be seventeen or eighteen in human years, he took the opportunity to take in the more subtle details of the stranger.

He had a humanoid appearance, but had only the faintest sheen of sweat on his brow, despite fighting all the demons attracted to his considerable human scent. The sword in his hand was of a make he didn't recognize, although it was similar to a broadsword. His clothes were different as well, though it didn't seem to house any armor like qualities. His eyes were as light as his hair.

In a way, he was strongly reminded of the ice demon Touya. Even the wary look in his eyes was similar, as was the sense of deep hurt buried almost further than could be seen in the light.

On another hand, they more strongly resembled Hiei's eyes. Eyes of someone who had gone through far too much for their age.

Ah, well. There were really far too many living like that these days. Time for introductions.

Hopefully they wouldn't prove fatal. Something about this boy resonated inside his spirit in a way he hadn't felt for years, and he felt that he'd like to have this one by his side in a fight.

"Hello, stranger," he spoke quietly, stopping his approach about five meters away. "You seem to be a little lost. Perhaps I can assist you, I am quite familiar with these lands and the inhabitants." He left his arms relaxed at his sides while the lavender haired boy did his own measuring. After a moment with no response, he continued.

"My name is Kurama. May I have the pleasure of hearing yours?"

And again he waited for a response.


	2. Chapter 2

What Trunks had already been through _before_ he had exited his time machine was enough to put anyone on edge. It was no surprise that he wasn't in an especially trusting mood.

The lavender haired boy pulled out a whetstone and a cloth, beginning the arduous process of cleaning his sword. He had only used the weapon to hide his true power in case there were any beings that could sense power levels in the vicinity.

Well, judging by the sheer amount of individuals that had managed to find him in the first few minutes, they had at least some mode of sensing him.

Trunks began wiping the blood off of his sword, feigning ignorance as he felt the strongest of all the beings he had felt so far, racing towards him with amazing speed.

There was something strange about this creature. Ever since Trunks had landed, every level he had sensed seemed so strange, so alien to him. But this one…

Trunks could not quite place it, but this one felt akin to a Super Saiyan. In power and something else, not quite tangible. Not surprisingly the individual had some sort of transformation as he neared Trunks, one that made him much weaker in the same way as a Saiyan was before transforming.

Unlike the others, this one did not try to kill him on sight, charging and yelling like they were witch hunting. No…when the red haired man stepped out from behind the trees it was with calm and very analytical green eyes.

"Hello, stranger," the red haired man spoke quietly, stopping his approach about five meters away. "You seem to be a little lost. Perhaps I can assist you, I am quite familiar with these lands and the inhabitants."

Trunks' ice blue eyes narrowed. It put him a little off edge, the way he felt towards this man. Or rather, boy. After all he couldn't have been too far off from Trunks' own age, perhaps a little younger.

It was as though there was some sort of connection between them…similar to the feeling Trunks and his mentor had shared before Gohan had been murdered. It wasn't an unpleasant feeling, rather, it was as if he almost trusted the boy.

"My name is Kurama. May I have the pleasure of hearing yours."

The lavender haired boy hesitated, thinking before answering. In the timeline he had just come from, he had had to make sure no one knew his identity except Goku so that his young parents wouldn't find out. But when he had messed up the programming in preflight, who knew where he had ended up.

Oh well. Wherever he was now, there was most likely no danger in people knowing his name. Heck, even without saying a word, he had already had at least twenty attempted murders, so what could a name hurt?

He smiled, stepping forward and holding out a hand in greeting. "My name is Trunks and you're right. To say the least, I'm not exactly familiar with the neighborhood. In fact…" Trunks took a moment to look around the dark and slightly foreboding trees before responding, "I'm not really sure _what_ the neighborhood is."

Kurama shook Trunks' hand and chuckled. "Well, if you wouldn't mind telling me what species you are, then I might be able to direct you to the right place."

The lilac haired boy noted the slight chilliness in Kurama's touch. _So, he can sense I'm not human,_ Trunks thought to himself, though he wasn't quite sure if the energy sensitivity was disturbing or a relief.

"I don't suppose you've heard of a Saiyan before, have you?" Trunks answered breaking the contact and folding his arms.

Not surprisingly, Kurama shook his head, "Sadly, no."

Trunks shrugged and said, "Figured as much. How about a human?"

The red haired boy chuckled again. "Yes. One could even say that I am one myself. So we might be able to count that as a start."

Without apparent warning, Trunks and Kurama both stiffened slightly and turned to look in the same direction. More beings were approaching and both of them could feel it.

"Might I suggest that we move this conversation elsewhere," Kurama said, looking back at Trunks.

Trunks smirked, liking this guy more by the minute. "You know, I think that's an excellent suggestion, Kurama." He sprinted over to the time machine and hit the capsulization button, picking up the tiny bottle from the ground a second later.

Kurama's green eyes were as large as Trunks had seen them yet, as he whispered, "Impressive."

Trunks put the capsule in his pocket, wondering just how advanced the technology was on this world as he responded with a, "Thanks."

Noting the remaining distance between the approaching crowd, the red haired boy turned away from observing the strange contraption and whispered, "This way, Trunks," as they both disappeared into the woods.


	3. Chapter 3

Kurama led Trunks through the forest, urging the plant life they brushed (and some they didn't) to shower them in their scent-disguising pollen. The area that he was leading his new companion to was home to one of his many dens, and a very good location as far as controlling who approached the area. The flora in the areas around his dens made very good guardians, and chances were good that he would not need to personally use his spirit energy to address any trespassers.

Beside him, Trunks tensed at a particularly loud bone-crunching clatter from one of the trees just ahead.

"Nothing to worry about," he said, glancing at the lavender haired young man. "The plant is digesting a fool that got caught. We are safe, as long as we stay out of reach of its mouths."

Perhaps he could have phrased that differently, he thought, pausing to take in the wide, pale blue eyes and the sudden gasp as the plant came into view. He wrinkled his nose slightly. This particular Ojigi had always been more aggressive than others of its same species, a trait for which he kept a couple of its offspring handy for battles, but it was also… decidedly messy. A particularly curious branch extended its mouth towards Trunks in such a way that Kurama was quick to warn it off with a quiet pulse of Ki. Trunks wide eyes flickered to him, but returned quickly to the feeding plant.

"Trunks," Kurama said, drawing the others attention to him. "Can you mask your Ki?"

"Yeah." A moment later, the whistle of the young mans energy was muted to a quiet hum, to which Kurama murmured his approval before turning to continue walking, the Saiyan close behind.

Now that they were in a relatively safe area, Kurama turned his mind to the capsule now hidden inside one of Trunks pockets. Such an incredible piece of equipment… He usually wasn't much of one for technology, although he appreciated the convenience, but he had to admit to himself that he would really like to know how such an obviously unnatural large item could fit into such a small area. He could do similar things with particular demon plants, but to do so with pure technology… It made his fingers itch in a way that had a history of being bad for possessors of valuable items.

His mind was brought back to the present by a sharp, inquisitive flare of ki, slightly North-West of their position. Hiei had found their meeting place. He returned the greeting in kind, and released a chink of his mental wall down to inform his friend that he would talk with him later.

He felt Trunk's eyes on his back intensify a bit. Such sensitivity… He wondered if any of his family was psychic, like the Kuwabara family, who had a talent for the unusual.

Ten minutes later they arrived in a small valley, hidden by trees and natural formations. On one side Kurama knew was the entrance to his den. Scattered throughout the other sides, shallow niches were filled with shade-loving plants, some harmless, some helpful, some not. Also hidden within the caves were rewards for anyone who got as far as the clearing. In one, a clear spring bubbled, nearly silent. In another, a series of old fashioned human hunting traps waited in pristine condition under a covering of leaves and old snow drifts. A skeleton stretched out towards the middle of the clearing informed him of at least one unprofitable visit since he had last passed this way. Sighing mentally at the cleaning up he'd have to attend to, he turned to Trunks in the middle of the clearing. It was time to address the human scent that hung heavily around the mixed breed. The pollen had neutralized some of the odor while they traveled, but there were things that could be done to further the process of removing the smell.

"Well Trunks, now that we're here let's get some of that human scent off you."

At the odd look Trunks turned on him, Kurama elaborated. "The smell of a human will draw more creatures like the ones you fought off before faster than nearly anything else. In fact, I would hazard a guess that that is what attracted most of your earlier visitors. Inside the cave directly behind you there's a spring with a fuzzy plant growing to the side. Wash yourself thoroughly, and use that plant like soap. Wash your clothing as well, and anything you have that can be put in water. I'll put some dry clothes out for you, and we'll talk after."

He smiled and turned away, intending to tidy up the main den. Before he had gone far though, he paused, and called back over his shoulder. "Ah, I would suggest not touching anything else you see just yet, and stick to the path."

With the message sent, Kurama strode off across the clearing.


	4. Chapter 4

_Well one thing is for certain,_ Trunks thought, taking off his Capsule Corp. jacket and setting it by the water with his socks and shoes. And that truth concerned the nature of Kurama. It was partially intuition and partially by the way that the red haired boy spoke. But either way, Trunks was fairly certain that his new acquaintance was not human…or at least not entirely human.

The Saiyan warrior finished stripping down to his shorts and jumped into the stream, trying to ignore his protesting body as it rebelled against the icy temperatures. Without hesitation, Trunks grabbed the fuzzy plant Kurama had obviously been referring to and began to scrub vigorously, chaffing copious amounts skin in his haste.

There were so many things he wished to ask the other boy and intended to do so as soon as possible. Such as _what_ Kurama was and what sort of creatures had attacked Trunks when he had first landed. And then of course, the most intriguing thing…how his red haired friend was able to at least talk to and most likely control every plant within the vicinity.

Actually, Trunks corrected himself. That was not the thing that interested him most about the time he had spent here so far. Perhaps it would be answered with one of the other questions, but what he really was curious about was the incident with the other man.

The lavender haired boy rinsed his face thought fully, nearly overwhelmed by the scent of the plant combined with his Saiyan sense of smell.

Trunks had felt like…like some sort of demonic power was reaching out and looking for something. And then Kurama had opened up, using his Ki like a signal flare. And Trunks could have sworn that there was some sort of message sent through that energy. Something that he could _almost _hear.

He tried to hold it back, but was unable to. The scent was overpowering simply from excess. Trunks sneezed, closing his eyes for just that brief second. Enough time for Kurama to be standing there where a second before there had been nothing.

"I gather that that is a sign of you finishing up. Though most humans can't even smell this plant even after they are thoroughly doused in it."

Trunks shivered, walking out to meet Kurama where he held a set of dry clothing. Taking the garments, Trunks smiled. "Yeah, well, remember. I'm not exactly human."

There was a moment of expectant silence as Trunks pretended to study the outfit Kurama was loaning him. Kurama gave a little smile, showing that he did indeed get Trunks' silent query. Choosing to ignore it for the time being, however; he said instead, "They won't be quite the same as the clothes you were wearing, but you will blend in much better in this world if you are wearing them."

Trunks nodded and began to don the suit, having some difficulty. Kurama was right. The under clothes seemed to be a loose sort of suit set, but then there was a tunic like thing with a sash that obviously was intended to be worn on top. Once Trunks had all of this straightened out, he looked up at Kurama.

It was unfortunate that the red haired boy's eyes had such an undeniable sparkle in their emerald depths. If it had not been for that, Kurama's deadpan expression might have worked. Maybe…

Trunks looked distinctly uncomfortable, but that wasn't the worst part. There was one thing neither Trunks nor Kurama had bothered to think about. The fact that Trunks had inherited his father's build and was a good half a foot shorter than the tall redhead.

A moment later the laughter escaped and Kurama put one hand over his mouth to muffle the sound slightly. "Perhaps when we meet up with Hiei, we can find you a better fit." The emerald eyes sparkled once more with inner laughter as Trunks attempted to hike up the trailing material.

"Who's Hiei? Is he the guy I sensed before? The one you communicated with while we were traveling here?" Trunks asked, still messing with the sash.

The green eyes widened and Trunks suddenly felt as though he had revealed too much. _Curse you, Kurama._ Why was it that Trunks seemed to trust the boy so much?

Changing the subject, he asked, "So. About plants. Can you teach me how you do all of that energy wave stuff to them?" Trunks finally stopped fussing with his clothing and turned to talk directly towards the other boy.

Kurama looked slightly confused as he frowned thoughtfully. "Sorry. I do not know quite what you mean by energy waves. Please. Explain."

Trunks shrugged, figuring Kurama should know what it was that he did to the plants. After all, it was obvious that the semi-human being had more than his share of energy sensitivity. "Well, at least when I sensed you do it last time, it felt as if there was a rapid succession of Morse code like signals that communicated with the plant on the cellular level."

Kurama's eyes widened with who knew what thoughts running through his mind. When he had recovered enough to digest what Trunks had said, he whispered, "I would say that perhaps you are overanalyzing this, but I believe that such an occurrence is much more rare than the general, semi-intelligent populous is inclined to admit."

Trunks couldn't help but laugh. The more he got to know Kurama, the more he liked the guy.

Kurama chuckled as well and turned to go back towards the cave. "Although I obviously cannot seem to answer all of your questions, I feel that I owe you some explanations."

Trunks nodded in agreement, following his guide back though the shrubbery.


	5. Chapter 5

To say Kurama was slightly confused would be an understatement. He was baffled. He'd never thought about /how/ he communicated with the plants before - he just did. It was never something he had to learn; other than to grow and manipulate from seeds. To communicate with older plants, he put an image or a thought in his mind, and they usually did whatever he asked of them. Very rarely did they ever disagree with him, even in his youth. Regardless of how he did it though, he highly doubted that it would be an easy thing to teach someone, if it could be taught. It was more natural to him than speaking.

/Something to think about later,/ he decided, leading Trunks in his too-long outfit past the edge of the clearing. Right now, he had some things to explain to the boy. He stopped, hearing as much as feeling the pale haired boy stop just at the edge of his sight.

"Tell me Trunks," he said, "what did you think of those creatures that attacked you earlier?" He looked only briefly at the half-human before turning to watch another demonic plant stalk its newly found prey, a low level demon.

"Well, they weren't like anything else I've ever seen before," Trunks replied.

"They were demons."

Sensing no reaction beside him, he turned to meet an incredulous, and somewhat amused stare.

"Demon? You should meet my dad." Feeling the humor in Trunk's statement, Kurama laughed along with the blue eyed boy.

"You dont say," he chuckled. "Is Demon slang for Saiyan where you're from?" He fixed a serious look on the warrior. "I'm not talking about personality, although most of them have that too. They live to fight, to kill or be killed. The stronger ones are immensely dangerous, and a few have enough strength to cause the Gods problems. The ones you've fought so far were quite weak, and comparatively stupid.

"I don't know what the world you're from is like, but you have fallen into the Makai. As you saw earlier, even the plants will kill anything they can reach, with very few exceptions."

He looked back at the plant he'd sighted earlier. It had successfully caught the low class, and was in the process of cleaning the bones. After every trace of meat and blood was gone, it would drop the bones, softened by acid, to the forest floor. Later, scavenger beasts would come to collect the bones, which they would consume in turn once they returned to their nest.

"The plant back there didn't attack, and it could've reached us. You made it back off." The response was almost a question.

"I merely suggested that it leave you alone. There are not many ways I could have made it do anything it didn't want to; it's viscous when it's antagonized. But its needs are simple, and it already had prey that would be easier to catch nearby, and one already in its grasp. It wanted to play."


	6. Chapter 6

"Well, I suppose it's a good thing I didn't receive the royal treatment growing up then," Trunks commented, looking down at the plant Kurama had just pointed out. "So, I'm supposing," the lilac haired boy said, lifting his gaze back to the emerald one of his guide. "That if those were demons and this world is a realm of demons, then you are one as well."

It was not quite a question, but Kurama offered an answer anyway as he ducked into the cave. "I suppose." He smiled, emerald eyes twinkling. "Since most humans would not have lasted long in this world."

It sounded like half a challenge, one Trunks was willing to take up. After all, he was only half human himself. "But I'm guessing you weren't quite lying when you said some would call you human. I think I would have sensed it," Trunks said, following the boy into his cave. The walls opened up and there seemed to be endless labyrinths of tiny caverns and tunnels in the dark beyond the living space. Simply put, it was rather deep, but tidy, just like the boy who resided there.

"Quite possibly," Kurama stated. "With how sensitive you are to energy signatures."

Trunks could not help but be amused. This was exactly how he had been with Goku not even a day before now. He had been determined to not let any unnecessary and possibly vital piece of information slip out. "I'll take that as a yes, then." Still, Trunks was far more persistent in getting information than Goku. "So, I'm guessing that this is your human form and that what I sensed earlier today was your demon form, correct?"

Kurama nodded, taking two earthenware bowls from the ground and bringing them to the center fire, sitting next to it himself. "That is correct."

Despite himself, Trunks was intrigued, perhaps it was the Saiyan nature coming out. He sat down next to the red haired boy and asked, "So, do I get to see this demon form, then?"

Kurama gave Trunks a piercing sideways look, his emerald eyes looking like shards of green glass from the way the light caught them. "Not yet," he answered. "There will be time for that later."

Trunks smiled and laughed. "I thought not." For some reason it amused him to have predicted the answer and reaction of his new friend. Then thinking about the ape-like creature Saiyans used to transform into, he decided to inquire, "Is it even something you can control?"

Kurama's exasperation turned into a smile. Stirring the pot over the open fire, he added some leaves, a cleansing aroma filling the cave immediately from his actions. Divulging a smirk, Kurama said, "Yes. I'm quite good at it."

"Awesome," Trunks smiled back, still amazed at his new friend's mastery of Herbology. "We'll have to fight some day, since it appears to be in both of our natures. I would show you my stronger form, but from what I can tell, we'd be swimming in demons if I let off that much Ki."

The demon smiled, straining the leaves out of the largest pot. "Something to look forward to, then."

Trunks could tell his peer was more excited by the prospect than he would show, but decided to let it drop. Taking out his time machine's capsule, he gestured at the fire. "So, is that tea or soup?"

"Tea," the herbologist responded. Trunks didn't much like the thought of trying something in a demon world even from someone he half way trusted. Kurama added, "To further mask your natural human aromas."

"I see." Trunks turned the tiny capsule over in his hand, myriads of questions flying through his mind. The smell of the tea was a good one, the only scents he could recognize seemed to be some form of Ginger. The same tea his mother liked the best on long days in the lab… "Is there any way to get back to Earth from here?" Trunks finally asked.

Kurama took his time, measuring out the tea into the two bowls and adding powder of some sort to both. A smell similar to mint nearly masked the previous odors. Setting both bowls down to cool, Kurama fixed his cold emerald gaze on Trunks and said firmly, "Yes. But it will not be the Earth you know."

"I am aware of that." Trunk broke the gaze in favor of looking that the neutral toned cave floor. "It just seems like the logical first step," He tossed the time machine's capsule into the air and caught it again. "If I can at least get to the right place, perhaps I can figure out how to reach the right time."

Kurama nodded and gestured to the bowls. "Preference?"

Trunks shook his head and said, "Nope. Server drinks first, though."

Kurama smirked, appreciating the lavender haired boy's caution. _Yusuke could use some lessons in that area._ He thought to himself. Then again, Yusuke could use a lot of lessons in a lot of areas. Many far more important and easier to get through his thick skull than prudence.

"Well then, let's see if I can't persuade Koenma to let us through the barrier," Kurama said and sipped his bowl of tea.

Trunks nodded and still lost in thought, shared a few quiet moments with his demon companion. Both sipping tea and listening to the sounds of the unnamed activities of the plant life in Makai.


	7. Chapter 7

'If I can get to the right place,' Kurama mused in his mind. The problem with that particular 'if' is that there was no sure fire way to determine whether they were in the right location in another dimension. Personally, if it weren't for the fact that Trunks would probably cause more havoc than Koenma could deal with by staying in this dimension, Kurama would recommend that they return to the site where Trunks had appeared. Finding Ningenkai's equivalent to that spot would be looking for the proverbial needle in the haystack, a difficult thing under the best of conditions.

But considering the circumstances, the best move would probably be to get Trunks to Human world. Staying in Makai would be hazardous to the demons attracted to his energy, and with it, the slight scent of Human (which, although it was quite low, was still discernable.). Trunks was fairly strong already, and from what he had said to Kurama earlier, it was entirely possible that he also had a type of powerful transformation. Kurama was certain that Koenma would not want him to remain in Reikai, seeing as he wasn't dead yet, and the longer a living being stayed in the Spirit world, the more paperwork Koenma had to do.

Most likely, Trunks would be left to Kurama to deal with. He breathed out a quiet sigh, and took another sip of the tea, gazing past Trunks to the small meadow.

He'd have to find a way to deflect Yomi's interest, and request some time away from headquarters. He was supposed to have remained the rest of the month in Makai, but with the new time/dimension visitor, he thought that was not the wisest course. Yomi would try to take advantage of the young man, and put him in a position in his army, and that just wouldn't do, for numerous reasons.

He contemplated the loose leaf fragment floating in the bottom of his bowl. Tilting it back and forth so that it moved, never touching the edge of the bowl.

There were so many variables, and not enough answers. It would be insane to assume that the other rulers wouldn't have noticed the strange energy.

Raizen probably wouldn't take much notice, being on his death bed. He'd be dead soon enough that the carnivore would leave it to Yusuke to handle, and who knew what that hothead would do. But he did like an even playing field, most of the time, and Trunks would shake the fragile balance if he joined any of their campaigns. Particularly on Yomi's side, as Kurama had already recruited some of their acquaintances from the Dark Tournament.

Mukuro would probably send Hiei. The fire demon would already know that Yomi had not yet enlisted the stranger, due to Kurama interfering, so he could relatively safely count that Hiei could be persuaded to overlook Trunks presence as well, as long as he kept the current power status the same, and hopefully Hiei convince Mukuro to do the same.

Having finished his tea, he stood, and reached for the bowl in the lavender haired youth's hands, putting his thoughts to the side for the time being.

"So, did you enjoy the tea?" he asked the other man.

"Yes, it was good. Was there anything I would recognize in it?" Trunks asked politely.

"Thank you. There was a bit of human Ginger root in it." Kurama smiled at the flash of satisfaction that flickered across his visitors face. "Other than that, I don't believe you'd recognize any of the ingredients."

His smile faded a little. "I have a few errands to accomplish before we go to see Koenma, and it may take a couple of days. I'd like for you to stay here."

Trunks eyes widened a little. "I'm not familiar with this area yet," he said finally. "I wouldn't know how to find or contact you."

Kurama grinned. "That should not be a problem. Anything you need will be provided for, so long as you don't wander past the barrier I've set. You are welcome to wander around this general area; perhaps it will help you to familiarize yourself a bit with the nature of this land. For your own safety and sanity, I will warn you not to touch or get too close to any plants taller than your waist or smaller than your hand."

"That's a lot of things you're warning me about. Fits about half what I've seen on the sides here so far," Trunks pointed out.

Kurama laughed. "I suppose so. I'll move some of them then. I assure you there will still be plenty to explore."

The next few hours were filled with Kurama showing Trunks which plants he could use for lighting, where he could find his basic requirements (kitchen, furs if the weather changed unexpectedly, as it was apt to do), and teaching him which plants were the most important to avoid.

"All right, I will see you relatively soon then. Do try to stay out of trouble," he laughed at the odd look that brought to his new acquaintance's face.

"Well, I'll see you later then," Trunks said finally.

Kurama felt Trunk's gaze on his back all the way to the top of the cliff. He released a small wave of energy over his territory as he walked, informing the plants of his departure and telling them not to kill his guest, then promptly flipped around as he reached the edge, and kicked off, falling in a spread-eagled position, relishing the feeling of the adrenaline and the rush of the wind before he sprouted a 'floating leaf' plant and gliding on an up draft towards where he would rendezvous with Hiei.


	8. Chapter 8

_So, it appears that at least some demons do not fly,_ Trunks mused, watching the receding form of Kurama as he disappeared into the sky upon yet another plant.

Trunks was tempted to test out his own capabilities in that arena to make sure the lack of flight was not environmental, but remembering his friend's warning about letting off energy kept him at bay. There would be time for that when he was not alone in a territory where he was the hunted minority.

The lilac haired boy turned back to the territory he was allowed to explore, eyeing the various trees and herbs with a wary, yet curious gaze. Finding out for himself what plants were really dangerous was another thing he would consider testing out later.

For that moment, he decided to start working upon the time machine. Perhaps if he could figure out where exactly he was from the data, there would be no need to visit this "Koenma" guy. "Besides," Trunks said out loud, digging through his baggy clothes to find the capsule case. "I'd rather figure this out myself and have it confirmed, than just trust blindly."

He rubbed the time machine capsule between his fingertips, lost in thoughts and memories of his most recent encounter with someone from an entirely different time.

_Goku…_

The Saiyan had been everything his mother had told him about…as hard as that had been for him to believe. He could almost still feel the power as their two kis had conflagrated as one in a dance of golden light. That had been one of the few times Trunks did not have to hold back and yet, he had felt so…safe. As if whether he won or lost did not matter in the least.

The lavender haired youth smirked slightly having slight difficulty in keeping his energy down from sheer excitement at the memories.

_And then…_

Trunks' smile faded as he remembered the events not too long afterward and he squeezed the capsule through reflex in his fist.

It had all gone well…Trunks waved goodbye to Goku…his father…his young mother… Thoughts of her safety and the safety of his own world running through his mind.

He had switched all of the levers, setting dials through the ease of practiced repetition. And with one last motion he pressed the button, flinging himself and his ship into the unexplored depths of space-time.

Yet, something felt wrong. The ship shook in a way it never had before. And that sound… that sound so high pitched that it was nearly out of human audible range. Red ribbons of flame shot past the cockpit windows, sparks scintillating from the points of contact.

Something had gone terribly wrong. There was no time to waste.

Trunks had whipped around as many controls as he could and fired an emergency reprogram sequence. The ship jerked so violently, Trunks was thrown to the side. His hands were ripped from the controls and his head had hit the hard metal edge of the cockpit. Dazed, he tried to sit up, but by the time he had managed to do so, the ship landed in the middle of that dark forest clearing…

Trunks' fists clenched with the reminiscences. If only he had paid a little closer attention when it had happened… If only he had planned ahead for something like this…

"Kurama! Hey, Kurama!"

Trunks crouched to the floor, one hand fisted on the ground with the capsule still inside it and the other instinctively resting upon his sword hilt.

There was a soft _thump_ and some light, running footsteps as a woman kept calling, "Oh Kurama! Koenma has some news! Apparently our devices are picking up a new energy reading and it doesn't appear to be demon or human. He wants to know if you'd go see—"

Trunks' eyes narrowed as the loud mouth stopped midsentence in front of the cave entrance.

"Oh dear…" She gasped and put a hand over her mouth as if to inhibit her ready flow of words. The other, Trunks noted, was holding onto some sort of very long paddle, perhaps an oar.

Trunks felt her energy, though, and for some reason he could not quite explain, he did not think she was harmless. _Might just be the blue hair…_ he commented to himself sarcastically, standing up and removing the hand from his sword.

Placing one hand behind her head and scratching it in a very Goku-ish manner, the girl replied, "Uhh…sorry about that. Wrong guy. Ignore absolutely everything I just said. Nothing important. No siree…heh, heh."

Trunks folded his arms. "Sorry, but I know the guy you're looking for, and," Trunks smiled knowingly, "I have a suspicion that I can answer most if not all of Koenma's questions about that strange energy you guys were picking up."

The girl froze, blue eyes going wide.

Trunks had the urge to laugh at her expression. It reminded him of his young mother, so he gestured inside, saying, "Come on. I have a feeling we've got a lot to talk about. And the news might just taste better over one of Kurama's teas."


	9. Chapter 9

As Kurama had expected, Hiei was waiting mere paces from where Kurama had first spoken with Trunks. He was looking at the corpses that hadn't yet been removed or violated by scavengers. In his hand was a small radio, which he placed into an inner pocket of his cloak as Kurama landed and approached.

"Retrieved what you needed?" Kurama asked conversationally. "You're fortunate that no one found that ahead of time."

Hiei snorted. "Hn. What took you so long?"

"I needed to make sure our guest wouldn't get himself unnecessarily mangled poisoned or eaten," he smiled a little at the dark haired mixed breed. "I'm taking him to see Koenma as soon as I get the clearance to leave from Yomi. I wouldn't bother, but he's probably been troublesome today." The smile changed to a smirk. "I did walk out in the middle of a briefing after all."

Hiei snorted. "Hn. Fool of a fox." He smirked. "So what do you plan to do with whoever it is you spirited away?"

Kurama returned the smirk, closing his eyes and turning to look back in the direction he came. "I'm not sure, but I do not intend to keep him in Makai any longer than necessary. No sense in risking him being taken in by any of our respective campaigns, including Yomi's."

Hiei nodded once. "All right. If that's your decision, I'll let Mukuro know. Does the detective know?"

"Not yet. I expect I'll be hearing from him soon."

"Hn. You'll be going back to Human world then?"

"Most likely, yes."

Hiei snorted. "Just don't do anything stupid," he said, looking sideways up at Kurama before flickering out of normal sight. Kurama smiled after him.

"Of course."

/One down, two to go./ He turned away and started walking as the skies darkened above him.

A couple hours later found him standing in an empty conference room, watching the storm that had developed over the past hour and a half. He didn't turn from the sight when the doors slid open behind him and the ruler of a third of Makai entered, the soft ticking of the heels on his boots the only noise in the room.

Yomi stopped when he was a step behind and three to the side from the human body. "So," the deep voice rumbled, gaining Kurama's eyes and a slight turn of his face. "Tell me what you found."

Kurama turned back to the window.

"I'm not certain what I found. The being that was there is not a human. Or," he glanced at the blind man, "a demon. He has some strength, it is true, but I believe that the fighters I promised will do more for our cause than a wild card like that." Yomi's eyebrow raised a fraction.

"And yet instead of killing him, you took him to one of your lairs. What are you planning, Kurama?"

Kurama's lips twitched in a humourless smirk. "I intend to return him to where he came from. He is not from Spirit world either."

Finally, he turned towards the door, and took a step. "I need some time off. I am not sure how long this will take. I will continue to feed you any helpful information I come across, and will be available on radio for emergencies and important briefings."

Yomis forehead creased slightly. "You won't stay without a direct order will you," he said almost absently. "Very well. Get what you need and go."

Kurama nodded shortly and took another step.

"And Kurama," he paused.

"Do come back."

Kurama walked. One left. Fortunetly, he knew who to talk to. He stopped for a moment outside of his quarters, reaching down to tend to one of the plants to the side. "Tell Yusuke that nothing will change," he said conversationally. "I suggest you go quickly."

A snort was heard from the shadows, and then he was alone.


	10. Chapter 10

The two light haired strangers made their way slowly into the cave, each at the very least, wary of each other.

"But first, I've got to ask…" Trunks paused, glancing back at the blue haired woman. "Who exactly are you?"

The girl jumped. "Oh! Sorry about that! Totally slipped my mind." She stuck her tongue out in a gesture of embarrassment and responded. "I am Boton. Grim Reaper and Spirit Detective assistant and personal trainer and secretary. Well, actually Koenma doesn't trust me with that paper filing stuff anymore, or much anymore. But there's babysitter and nurse and..."

As Boton continued, the lavender haired boy felt he had just been hit by a Kamehameha wave. Had Trunks not been positive that Saiyan hearing was superb, he could have sworn that his ears had just failed him. The light blue eyes narrowed. "Excuse me. What was that again?"

Boton temporarily halted her flow of words and shrugged, "Well, I mean I only actually got to fly the shuttle once, so it probably doesn't make me a pilot or at least not a successful one, since I crashed it into one of King Yama's towers…"

Trunks shook his head vigorously, short lilac hairs whipping his forehead. "No. I mean the first one you said."

Boton placed one long fingertip on her cheek, thoughtfully looking upward. Then with a snap and a smile, she exclaimed, "Oh, of course! You mean the Grim Reaper. Yeah, not my favorite job, but it was what I was hired for, so I have to do it every now and again."

Something twitched within Trunks' heart. A pain that he was still dealing with resurfacing from out of nowhere. He suddenly wondered if it had been a person such as this that had taken Gohan to the other side. Perhaps this girl, Boton, even. Yet, it would not matter if he never got back.

Trunks shook his head once again to try and clear some of his emotions. They wouldn't do him any good right now. He began making the fire for the tea, enjoying himself slightly at mixing the herbs for himself.

Boton watched Trunks with some interest, asking, "So, how do you know Kurama?"

There was a pause in which Trunks decided what it would be safe to tell her. "He was sort of the greeting party. Or at least the only member of my greeting party without immediately apparent murderous intent." Trunks chuckled to himself.

Boton winced and shivered, Trunks' comment reminding her of what world she was in and her safety level in said realm.

The Saiyan poured two cups of tea, pleased with the minty lemon taste he had achieved with the foreign herbs.

Boton took a big gulp, licking her lips appreciatively. "So, if you don't mind my asking. What _are_ you, Trunks? You're obviously not demon or human. At least that's not what we picked up on the spy radar."

The half-human sighed and took his time in responding, only after he had taken a few swallows of his own tea. "Well, it's hard to explain, but I am misplaced on two dimensions. Both space and t—"

A sudden surge in energy unlike any Trunks had felt, cut him off mid-word. Boton had frozen as well, her bowl of steaming tea burning her hands unnoticed.

Suddenly on the alert, Trunks had sprung to a crouch, one hand resting on his sword hilt out of reflex. The energy did not seem to be too close, but it was moving from the North. And moving right towards them if Trunks was feeling correctly.

Boton's blue eyes widened in recognition and she whispered, "Oh no. Yusuke's coming." She stood up and walked to the cave mouth, feeling the ex-detective's demon energy coming ever closer.

Trunks came up to stand beside her, looking out as two more energies flared up from the East. One of which Trunks recognized. "That's Kurama," Trunks whispered, nodding in the direction of the new energies. Yet, they were so far away. Trunks' blue gaze turned to Boton's and he said, "I'm guessing Kurama intends to meet up with Yusuke before I'm discovered, but do you think Kurama will intercept him in time?"

Boton bit off a nail and shook her head, deciding in an instant. "No. Not if we stay here. He's much closer to us than Kurama and Hiei are." She hopped onto her paddle and without any warning, grabbed Trunks' wrist, hoisting him into the air.

The Saiyan acted on reflex, ripping his hand from the Grim Reaper's grasp and floating beside her. "Wait. Kurama asked me to stay here and I'm sure he had a plan for if this happened."

Boton's light eyebrows flew upward. "Oh my. I didn't realize you could fly."

Trunks' patience was running thin. "Yes. I can fly. But we should have thought this through before I let off my energy. There's still a fire down there that needs to be put out."

The blue haired girl giggled and responded, "Oh don't worry about that. You don't know Kurama's plants. Several of his indoor ones are fire eaters for cases such as this. " Trunks went to open his mouth to retort, but Boton continued, "Besides, it's too late for that. I guess you were right about the letting off energy part. Look."

Trunks' eyes looked to the place that Boton's finger pointed to and he saw thousands if not millions of insects flying towards him and his companion. And visible through them were plenty of demons of varying sizes jockeying for a piece of him on the ground below.

There was no beating it. He was forced to go with Boton unless he wanted to fight and let off even more energy. Besides, there was still the matter of Yusuke, who had already halved the distance between them.

"I really don't like this," Trunks muttered to no one in particular as he turned and flew into the sky behind Boton's levitating paddle.


	11. Chapter 11

Kurama jerked from his musings to the awareness that Yusuke Urameshi was racing towards the den in the southwest, where Trunks was currently hidden.

_Kurama_! Hiei's hurried thought-speech resonated in his mind.

_I know_! Kurama responded, roughly setting the gem carving in his hands back in the small wall safe. The garnet bat youkai, which had its dark red wings set in pre-flight, toppled over onto its face. Kurama, about to shut the door on the items inside, froze entirely. Several quick heartbeats later, he gently righted the statue, closed the door and lept off the closest balcony, his now vulpine form practically flying over the ground in his hurry. He flared his energy, hoping to attract Yusuke's attention.

"It's no use," Hiei called, falling into step beside him. Kurama snarled and kept running. The young man always had to make things complicated.

He swore mentally. Trunks had released his energy, and he could detect the perky shinigami's energy at his den as well. _If he had kept it down, Yusuke wouldn't be able to find him_, he thought aggravated. _Now even the plants are unlikely to be able to deter him before I get there. _But that didn't mean he wouldn't stop him anyway.

He caught Hiei's eye, gesturing for him to go ahead and intercept Yusuke, while he split off to reach his lair via an underground tunnel. He paused as he ran into the cave, sending instructions to the plants ahead.

Miles later, he stepped into the sun, stopping to take in the sheer amount of Makai Insects, low level and mid level demons in the area. In the middle of the horde, he could see Yusuke and Hiei killing them by the dozens. He smirked inwardly when he saw that Yusuke was entangled from the waist down by thick vines. His plants had done their job.

There was still an incredible density of demons in the area. His plants were feasting, and still they couldn't get all of them. He knelt on one knee, placing his hand on the forest floor and channeled his energy to the seeds throughout the area, growing them to a semi-mature age to maximize their desire to feed. Releasing Yusuke, he turned his attention to locating Trunks and Boton.

His lips pursed as he realized what had drawn so many low level beings to the area, and why they weren't entirely focused on the trapped Mozoku.

_Trunks. It's his energy that is attracting them, not his scent. _He had suspected it might be the case, because of the strange, exotic flavor, but it was rather unpleasant to see it confirmed. Trunks and Boton hadn't made it very far towards the Reikai portal.

_Hiei, you and Yusuke clean up here. Tell Yusuke what I told you earlier, and that I'll talk to him later. I'm going ahead_, he communicated to the small fire demon.

_Hn. Hurry it up or I'll Kokuryuha your precious plants._

_Thank you, Hiei._ Kurama quickly skirted the mob trying to get to where Trunks and Boton were grounded, cornered by a gang of high- mid level demons smart enough to use long range attacks while their lower level counterparts swarmed them. Boton was leaning against a rock formation unconscious, being defended by Trunks. A thin stream of blood stood out against her pale skin and light hair in the fading afternoon light. The Saiyan was exhibiting both impressive swordplay and even more impressive mastery over his ki in his effort to provide her safety. Energy surrounded his blade, demolishing any demon stupid enough to get close, and he intermittently threw balls that reminded Kurama of Yusuke's Spirit Gun from the palms of his hands. From his slightly higher vantage point, and with his own energy clamped down to avoid drawing attention to himself, He was provided with quite a view.

_He looks upset, _Kurama mused, setting his annoyance at the situation and the battlefield his territory had become aside. The pale-haired boy looked over his shoulder at the woman still leaning against the rock. _So that's it._ While he watched, he could feel the exotic energy getting stronger, the longer Boton stayed unmoving. Kurama's human hand clenched, as he stared intently below him. Finally, Trunk's energy peaked, and with a hoarse shout, lavender hair was instantly bleached and electrified.

_Dear me. Maybe I shouldn't take him to Human World. This amount of power would level that city. _


	12. Chapter 12

In all of his considerable fighting experience, Trunks had never seen such a variety of attacks. It seemed demons each had their own set of otherworldly abilities, each one as different as an individual's energy signature. An impressive phenomenon that Trunks could not fully appreciate while trying to dodge, keep his energy under control, and protect the Grim Reaper on her none too fast paddle.

The lilac haired youth spun in a circle, cutting down several attacks as well as hundreds of insects within range of his minimal usage of Ki.

"Oh no! Trunks!"

The Saiyan whipped around towards Boton's yells, watching as the blue haired girl fought to keep her paddle steady. It seemed at least one of these demons could manipulate wind. Not very well, but enough that the Boton was now flying slightly backwards despite her obvious efforts otherwise.

_This is getting us nowhere!_ Trunks thought with a scowl of frustration, cutting down more insects as he flew back to her. She simply was not a fighter and not the best of flyers either.

Without consulting his charge, Trunks grabbed Boton's wrist, pulling her closer and yelling, "Hold onto my waist!"

She did, perhaps simply stunned into compliance, perhaps seeing the logic of Trunks fighting the storm for both of them.

They made some headway, Boton holding on for dear life from the sheer speeds they were flying. Once Trunks could be sure they were going to make it, he asked, "So, where are we going?"

But he never heard the answer. Something hit Trunks. Not an attack or anything physical. His surroundings no longer seemed important as a new awareness flooded his senses.

It was like déjà vu. As if by being in this spot, Trunks was supposed to remember something. Or maybe it was the echo of a presence he once knew… _Gohan?..._

"TRUNKS!" Boton screamed, breaking the boy's trance.

_**SLAM!**_

The couple was hit by something akin to a Kamehameha wave, rocketing towards the ground before they really knew what hit them. Trunks made sure he hit first, slamming his back through rock and brush alike.

When they finally stopped, Trunks got up shifting debris off his body with the movement. He could appreciate the sheer strength of that last attack by the size of the cave-like crater they had created with their fall.

_Hope you needed the landscaping job, Kurama. _Trunks thought, pulling out his sword in anticipation.

They needed to get out of here before those big demons started getting closer. "Hey. How much further until Koenma's place?" he called back, slicing down the small, frontline demons with ease.

There was no answer. Boton had never gotten up, had she? Trunks spun a circle, slicing down enemies and taking the chance to look at his companion.

The logical part of Trunks saw that it was Boton lying there against the rocks. But the part of him that he hid from everyone else, the part beset by fears and tormented by nightmares saw differently.

_Blue hair steeped into magenta with her own blood. Trunks cried out to her, but she would not wake up. His mother was dead._

Trunks yelled. His inward cries screaming, _I won't let this happen!_

It was his fault that he could not save his mother. His energy that brought on the mess Boton was now in.

_No more._

He screamed, flooded with a familiar surge of golden energy and feeling the stands of his hair lift up from around his ears.

The Saiyan blood coursed through him, challenging enemies to come close. _Let them come. Let them just try it._

With his heightened senses, he could hear Boton's soft breathing from where she lay, knocked out. He could feel two strong powers fighting somewhere nearby. And he could feel…

_Kurama._

Trunks smirked, looking up at the cliff area with pupil-less, teal eyes. Kurama looked back, smirking in turn as he saw Trunks' transformed state. Then with a nod and a smile in his emerald eyes, Kurama gestured in a mutually accepted body language that Trunks understood to mean, _All yours._

Something about Makai spurred on that part of Trunks which was related to his father. That part that enjoyed fighting simply to fight. With a bit of a demonic grin, Trunks set to work, knowing all the while that Kurama sat watching his every move.


	13. Chapter 13

Kurama allowed the smirk to fall from his lips, leaving them set in a neutral expression.

_Boton_...

He could try it a couple of different ways from a distance, so he wouldn't be noticed, and for speed. He doubted she was seriously injured; it took more than a fall to kill a 'Grim Reaper', especially one with Boton's experience and luck. But there was a chance that she had been hurt during the fall, so physically going to wake her up was probably for the best.

It didn't take him long to make his way down to where the Chief Shinigami lay silently. Much to his relief, he didn't see any broken limbs, and the blood he had seen on her face (now in the process of drying) came from what appeared to be only a surface wound just above her hairline, and judging by the twitchy 'cat' smile on her face, the blue haired woman was in the middle of a rather amusing dream.

Chuckling slightly, he tossed a few plants around him. A moment later, he froze, sensing the damage done in the battle behind him.

_Those - !_

Words failed the spirit, as a painful rage came over him, electrifying the air and turning his eyes a glowing red that was brighter than his human hair. The contents of that particular room were irreplaceable.

A small part of him notified him in an apathetic tone that Boton was now wide awake and pressing her back to the stone in a terrified stupor, her eyes focused on his back. The same part also noted that a large portion of the demons not already dead were immovable from the pressure his killing intent was producing. The remaining percentage was either fleeing the area or attempting to mob him in a kill-or-be-killed suicidal move. Standing to take a step, he silently pushed his energy into the ground in a wave, and the plants responded instantly, staking both attacks and attackers in their places. He could hear someone-

_Yusuke_

- shouting something at him, (he glared, and the long haired half-breed stopped moving) and vaguely _felt_ Hiei's shock and caution. He angrily ignored all of it, focusing on his path. A face surrounded by purple hair -

_Trunks_

- materialized in front of him, also saying something Kurama couldn't entirely comprehend. He stopped. Trunks said something else and reached a hand out towards him. Kurama flung him several meters away with a vine, then continued through the energized dust towards the hole in the earth some distance away.


	14. Chapter 14

Trunks sighed, letting golden hair relax back into its usual lavender hues as he watched his remaining enemies flee. The demons had been no challenge whatsoever for an experienced Super Saiyan such as himself and if Trunks was completely honest with himself, it felt good to beat something up. Perhaps that was finally his father's blood coming through.

Suddenly, there was a wave of energy. Evil energy, demon energy, with a tinge of something familiar. It was as Trunks whipped around that he heard a voice call from a little ways off.

"What the—?What the heck is wrong with you?"

Trunks had no time to process what the dark hair boy meant or who he was. For all of his attention was now focused upon his only friend in this dimension.

The once red hair glowed silver, whipping silently around the ivory ears upon Kurama's head, as the demon crouched to the ground. His eyes held a malicious glint that Trunks didn't particularly like the looks of and the mouth was such a thin line that he was not sure that Kurama could be any angrier.

Looking around for the first time, Trunks noted Boton, alive and trembling. He noted the decimated plant life and rubble left from the battle. He noted the shock emanating from two faces of very strong demons he had not noticed before.

Taking a step forward, Trunks held out a hand as if to a wild animal and said, "Kurama. Why did you transform?"

The demon did not answer. Instead Trunks felt a piercing knife through his chest, knocking him to the ground and withdrawing to its owner. Wiping some blood from his outfit's front, Trunks slowly sat up and looked at the silver and impassive fox spirit that stood there.

This was not his friend, Trunks decided, standing up.

This was not his friend any more than Goku was himself on a full moon.

The Kurama-type creature stood up as well, anger blazing from his eyes.

Without another thought, in fact, without any emotion, Trunks wiped the blood on his pant leg and transformed effortlessly once more.

The two dark haired demons sobered down a bit, watching the fight with expert eyes, Trunks could tell that they would not interfere.

"So, Kurama. I thought we were going to save this fight for later. Or do you remember that chat we had in the cave?"

The fox's eyes flashed and he calmly said, "I am not Kurama. But rather, Yoko-Kurama."

Trunks nodded, teal eyes locked on the demon's own. "Well then, _Yoko_- Kurama." The Saiyan raised one hand to waist level, charging up an obvious blast of golden light. He never once turned away, watching the eyes of his enemy. "I am ready to test your strength as a full demon."

"Oh really?" Yoko said, a smile gracing his features that did not reach his icy gaze.

Trunks smiled in return and raised his palm to the sky, releasing a steady stream of energy into his first attack as he felt the pulsing sensation come from Yoko-Kurama. The pulsing that Kurama used to communicate with plants, though Trunks suspected these particular plants would not be as nice as those ones.

Without a word, Trunks nodded and the smiles faded from both faces as they began to circle one another in a dance of deathly consequences.


	15. Chapter 15

Get out of my way, Trunks.

_/He ran through the forest, his companions behind him. These were his elite, the ones he could trust. There were nearly a dozen of them altogether, including himself and Yomi, who was about two meters behind him and to the right, and he smirked cockily at the fox spirit when he glanced at him. Today they would relieve the Tengu of a particular trinket that Youko had been coveting for some time; a blood red stone, said to be a ruby of the highest quality from the Human world, enchanted by the great Tengu Sojobo. Of course they'd take anything else they had the time for as well. _

"Well then, Youko Kurama. I am ready to test your strength as a full Demon." The man was charging his attack, energy glowing in his hand.

_/They were fleeing back to the den through the maze of tunnels widened within the roots of an Okuninja tree. Three of their number had been lost, and they were still being pursued. Unusual that the Tengu would pursue them this far underground for a few shiny trinkets. Letting out a growl, he stopped and pushed himself against the wall, ushering the survivors past him. He would seal the path behind them well, and take another route himself with Yomi, who was across from him, glaring back down the tunnel towards the growing sounds of feet and air rushing through wings._

This has nothing to do with you Trunks. Leave me be.

_/It took far too long to dig the room out after the tunnel system collapsed. Youko had seen many deaths in his time, but seeing the bodies of his selected elite affected him in ways he wouldn't admit even to himself. He removed the rubble but left the bodies untouched. Even the treasure was left where it was, with the demon who carried it. He would seal the room as an unpleasant reminder of the peril of underestimating a targets resources and determination._

Get him out of my way, he ordered the plants. He blinked once, raising his chin. Black hair framed an angular face, aged and mocking in Trunks place. Wings blacker than night stretched out, beating once.

/impossible.

"You should be dead, old bird," he told the Tengu, rolling a blood red rose between his fingers.

_/The battle was long, an exhausting game of cat and mouse, except neither filled either part for long. It both thrilled Youko and terrified him to be this evenly matched. Part of him cynically remarked that if he was having this hard a time, it would be a miracle if any of the others survived, assuming that the old birds progeny were even close to the fathers skill level. Several times he almost ran from the powerful sorcerer, then recalled the faces of the demons who hadn't survived the night after the raid, trapped and suffocated before he returned. He couldn't afford the time to train more men like those, even discarding the 'trustworthy and loyal' bit. His grip on his whip tightened before he slunk into a burrow to wait. _

The wizened demon narrowed his eyes, as calculating as Kurama himself.

"Shall we see if you've learned any new magic tricks? I hope for your sake you have."


	16. Chapter 16

_Emotion._

_Such a curious force, _Youko-kurama entered the thought into his mind as he watched his body respond to the spiritual stimuli.

_It controls my energy, my attacks, my thinking...probably my soul if I had one._ His eyes glinted like shards of glass, half in fear, half in fury. And the demon threw out commands to every surrounding plant worthy of fighting.

Whether from the rage or terror, Youko's spirit energy had multiplied incredibly, taking his demon energy to a whole new level of ferocity. This...demon, if he could even be called that...had taken everyone he had ever known. Everyone he had ever respected or trusted for thousands of years...and slaughtered them. The only carcasses Kurama had ever feared to touch, had ever wished to protect even after their use as a fighter was entirely gone.

The black demon cackled, both the young and old sound mixed in Kurama's mind, "I don't know who you're calling old bird, but since it's a fight you want, let's kill off the demons of your past."

Vines, thorns, and poisonous leaves all converged upon Kurama's enemy. That evil, ebony Tengu. It was justice if Kurama killed him once more. In fact, it would be only fair if he had to kill him ten times all together. One for each of the worthy companions this monster had killed.

And with that motivation in mind, Youko-Kurama smirked slightly, now looking forward to the opportunity of revenge. His hatred wiped away the last shreds of fear.

The monster's sword-play was indeed impressive, so Kurama began sending in those flora that could kill...slowly and mercilessly. Those plants with spores the size of a human fingernail. Filled with one of the most potent and dangerous poisons Youko had found in a thousand years.

He sent out the call and watched the feathery balls of death float through the air, magenta and turquoise. Like a murderous bird of prey specifically designed for this fowl soul.

Four meters... two meters...

The bird yelled. The scream of Youko's opponent raising in pitch as he powered up, his energy doing something entirely different from all it could in the past. The wings became emblazoned with golden light, the surroundings dimmed, the thorns gilded, as all time stopped against it's will.

Youko pulled up every bit of spirit energy within him to avoid being knocked back by the solar force blaring against him.

The silver fox demon could not move for all the energy he was expelling. All the spirit energy he brought up being thrown at his old rival. His steel straining against his component's gold in a mental battle of energy and wills.

His enemy began moving forward step by painful step. Kurama was not going to lose!

He strove with all his considerable will to match his enemy, stepping forward towards the light.

Even as he did, darkness clouded in from the edges of Kurama's mind. He could hear screaming. He wouldn't let the monster win...he just wouldn't...let him...

The two warriors pushed towards each other, blaring pure energy from outstretched hands.

_I will avenge my warriors._ Kurama thought and with one last push, the two pairs of hands barely touched.

The light was too much. Kurama was filled with it. He became it. He _was_ the light. He was traveling faster and faster than sound, than space, than time.

And then all consciousness was wiped away into darkness.


	17. Chapter 17

Kurama blinked.

_Gold..._

_Gilded thorns..._

_Blonde spikes of hair..._

With a flicker, ebony had turned yellow. Shadows had become sunlight, too bright to look at.

_No. That actually is the sun, _Kurama processed as he shut his eyes to the glare. For some reason, he was on his back. And for some certainly related reason, he appeared to be unable to move more than minimally.

Kurama turned his head, seeing as he did so that his hair was back to it's scarlet, human hues. Splayed out on the ground not even two meters away from the demon was that strange half-breed, Trunks.

Lavender painted magenta near where Trunks had obviously hit his head on the rocky earth. In fact, Kurama blinked again and felt some of his own crusted blood flake off from a head wound.

It wasn't any surprise really, considering the floor was tile.

Kurama's emerald eyes widened a bit.

_Wait. Tile? _

Kurama looked beyond Trunks up at the windows of a large dome where a logo stood against the sun. It was an unfamiliar one, even to the educated Kurama. Two black C's with one encompassing the other. He felt like he'd seen it...but what did it stand for?

_Where are we?_ Kurama clenched his fists, his body's demon blood kicking in to make movement possible.

A woman's shriek cut the air. Trunks' periwinkle eyes shot open and he sat up. Whatever a Sayan was, their blood's healing powers were not to be discounted. That was for sure.

Another shriek rent the air and upon looking at the source of the sound from behind Kurama, the azure gaze widened in fear.

_Trunks, where in the dimensions did you take us?..._Kurama thought, turning his head around slowly to see the terrifying stranger for himself.


End file.
